Then Came the Dawn
by Zanne Chaos
Summary: (UPDATED: Oct 21) The conclusion to the TIOT arc. Valgaav begins to remember. But how can they take on Xellos?
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Slayers, not mine. Never have been and never will be. I just like playing in Hajime Kanzaka's toybox, because they're such wonderfully three-dimensional and larger-than-life characters. Von, however, is my own creation.  
  
Author's Notes: This is the final story to the arc which begun with "The Illusion of Truth". It takes place after "The Illusion of Truth" and "All Through the Night". It also takes place after the first songfic in the subplot trilogy, "Someone to Watch Over Me", and before the final two songfics, "I Love You, Good-Bye" and "I Have Nothing".  
  


* * *

  


**Then Came the Dawn**  
  
**by Zanne Chaos**

  
  


* * *

  


**Prologue**

  
  
The dreams were always the same.  
  
Smoke. Screaming. Death. Long golden locks, soaked red by blood. Sometimes the Elders, standing with their dark robes and salt-and-peppered hair, were there.  
  
Pointing. Accusing. Never him, but her. There was blood -- her blood, and the blood of his mother, family friends, his entire life.  
  
The axe came down and fell. The screaming began with the darkness. His hands would reach for her, trying escape the smell of smoke and death, but instead they coiled around her hair. Ripping. Pulling her to her feet. Winding around her neck, cutting into her, choking.  
  
Screaming. There was always the screaming.  
  
And always, _always_ darkness in the end.  
  
But then they changed.  
  
The screaming started before the axe fell, while the axe was still in flight, and the terrible, terrible sounds of something shattering.  
  
The darkness came as always, but the screaming had already begun.  
  
Heart pounding, pulse racing, chest heaving, Val jerked awake, the cave lit gray by the false glow of dawn. He hated it, hated the dreams. The old ones, the blood dreams, they were ordinary. He suffered them for years, centuries.  
  
But something about the recent twistings and turnings to the dreams chilled his very nerves.  
  
It was green. Sometimes it was gray. Sometimes he could see his hands, other times himself. It skewed, it slanted, it spun in a way that ripped vertigo out of his head and transported it to his stomach.  
  
The axe, then the screaming. No, it was the screaming and the axe. Both. One. Same. But one was here and one was there. They weren't together.  
  
An uncontrollable shudder ripped at him, and he slammed his talons into the rock, growling softly. Gods, what was he missing? There was a detail gone. He was missing a part of the dreams, forgetting it. Maybe if he could figure it out, they would quit haunting him.  
  
The bloodless ones, the new ones, were far more disturbing. There was comfort in the old ones, like an old familiar enemy if not a friend.  
  
He could see himself as he looked on in thought, lifting an axe. The blade traveled down -- wood. Firewood. The smoke was fire. Wood fire and coal. The odor snapped itself into crystalline clarity for a brief heartbeat, then faded past.  
  
Nothing seemed changed.  
  
Tangible and phantom mist both. Frustrating in its teasing clarity and elusiveness. Snarling, a sudden, brief bout of helpless fury, slamming his paw down, his talons in, breaking, splintering the rock...  
  
...and gasped as the draft from his paw which suddenly slammed open a dozen locked doors breathed down his spine, chilling him.  
  
It was the screaming.  
  
The screaming started when the axe came down. While the axe came down. While he wasn't there. He wasn't there. The mist fell apart and drifted through his fingers as he tried to look past it, and he scrambled for it, trying in vain to recover that momentary respite, the teasing hint of memory.  
  
But at least one thing now was certain.  
  
He hadn't been in the house when she started screaming.  
  


* * *

  


**...six months later...**

  
  


* * *

  


**Chapter One**

  
  
"Can I get ya anything else, sir?"  
  
"That'll be fine."  
  
The barmaid started to leave, and he reconsidered.  
  
"Wait, maybe you can answer a question?"  
  
"Sir?"  
  
Val tugged the hood a little lower, making sure none of his aqua hair was visible. He didn't recognize the barmaid, and maybe she wouldn't recognize him. It had been three years, or more, since he last was seen in the village. Still, he wasn't willing to take any chances.  
  
"I was told that a good place to find a sword around here was that shop," he said, gesturing out the window, across the street and down the road a ways to _Vases and Maces_.   
  
"Oh, they don't sell those anymore."  
  
"So the place has changed ownership?"  
  
"No, Miss Ul Copt still runs the place, but the big fellow that ran the forge left. Him and the fox."  
  
So that would account for why he hadn't seen hide nor hair of Jillas and Gravos for the last day. "Any idea where they went?"  
  
"None in the slightest."  
  
Valgaav sighed, looking back out the window. "Thanks. You're sure she still runs the place?"  
  
"Of course. I see her when I go in there to buy tea or pottery."  
  
"Ah, all right. I was wondering, since I realized I haven't seen anybody matching the description I was given around the place."  
  
"She doesn't come out and do very much. That purple-haired gentleman handles everything."  
  
A chill ran down his spine. "What do you mean? Is she sick?"  
  
"I guess so. She hasn't set foot outside the shop in ages. But when I see her, she seems okay. She just doesn't talk very much."  
  
"I see. Thanks."  
  
"Anything else I can help you with, sir?"  
  
Valgaav shook his head. "Maybe my bill?"  
  
"Certainly."  
  
He sipped his drink, looking out the window at the shop in the distance, his eyes narrowed. He wanted to know what was going on behind those doors, but there was no logical way to get in there. Not with Xellos present. If his servants had still been around, they would have been ideal to pump for details, but ifs never got anyone anywhere.  
  
But without knowing what was going on, he had no real way of knowing what to do. There was the temptation of getting closer to the place, looking in a window, maybe even breaking in; but while he might have been able to pull it off and slip away unnoticed if it were just Filia, he didn't think he could do it with Xellos there.  
  
Briefly, he considered enlisting the aid of someone to go in and do a bit of reconnaissance work, but he had no faith in anyone in the village being able to do so without making a right balls-up of everything. Val tried to convince himself that he was overreacting, that Filia wasn't in trouble, but couldn't come up with a decent argument.  
  
Two things worried him: the absence of his servants, and the fact she apparently never left her home anymore.  
  
He _knew_ he hadn't done a thing. He still couldn't remember _what_ happened; everything remained blank in his mind's eye after the point of turning to face the house. But that was enough. Something made him stop in his chores, something made him go inside.  
  
And he remembered enough to know what that something was: Filia's screaming, and beyond that, the sound of things breaking.  
  
_Besides_, he thought sourly, glaring into the tankard in his hands, _it's not as though I can take on Xellos alone. Not anymore._  
  
As much as it galled him to admit, he needed help. There were only a few people left who stood a chance at being able to help him. The question was, _would_ they help him, if only for Filia's sake?  
  
It was time to find out. There was one person which he knew might be found in a reasonable span of time, and someone who might actually listen to him without trying to attack. He'd start there.  
  
Val dropped some change on the table and, after making sure Xellos was nowhere in sight, slipped out of the tavern, and headed away from Filia's shop, out of town.  
  


* * *

  
Fly by night, walk by day. Val knew where he wanted to go, he just wasn't sure how to get there. But once he crossed the sea to the other shore and started asking questions, he was fairly optimistic he'd know the city when he saw it.  
  
A gust of wind pushed him higher into the rapidly dimming twilight sky. Normally he waited until it was truly dark, to avoid being seen, but impatience overtook him. He was in Seyruun, that much he knew. A bright glow beyond a hill gave him an indication where to look, and he was rewarded by the sight of city streets lit up by lamps, and highlighting the famous white magic circle of the city even at night.  
  
He found the place; the next trick was figuring out how to get in. While he didn't doubt he could easy gain admittance into the White Magic Capital city itself, finding the crown princess was likely to be a more troublesome task.  
  
Especially if she wasn't there.  
  
There was the trick of getting past the peons, the guards who wouldn't know him from any other Tom, Dick, or Harry who passed through. Just telling them that he wanted an audience with the princess wouldn't get him very far, he suspected. There was the usual method of simply fireballing anyone in his way, but that created two problems he didn't want to deal with at the moment. It wouldn't be conductive to a cooperative mood on anyone's part, and it might draw the attention of Mazoku, even here. If nothing else, it would certain generate some stories, and stories would spread.  
  
The palace was in the very center, and Val studied the area as he glided overhead. It seemed extraordinarily bright, even more so than he would have thought. Light seemed to pour from nearly every window, and on his second pass, he dipped lower. Coach after coach crowded the roads past the walls leading up to the keep, and torches were ablaze everywhere.  
  
A slow smirk curled Val's lips, revealing his fangs as a plan formed. Perhaps getting in would be easier than he thought.   
  


* * *

  
Hopefully _that_ had been the most difficult part. It was certainly looking good for holding the title of the most annoying. They were hard to find, and Val had almost given up on locating a shop that offered ready-made clothes which met his requirements after searching for one for almost two hours.  
  
Of course, by then, it had been long since closed. A few near-misses at discovery, and attempting to piece together an outfit in the dark hadn't been exactly high entertainment.  
  
He still had to do a few more things before he could walk up to the doors. With the stolen garments bundled up under his arm, he levitated past the castle walls, shrouded by the dark and the foliage, and stashed them under a bush. All this skulking about was making him impatient. Val had never enjoyed subterfuge, preferring to meet situations head on and destroy everything in sight.  
  
But he knew that would fall under the 'bad idea' category, and he needed more information.  
  
"Now that's a fine-looking team," he announced, emerging from the bushes and walking down the cobbled road toward a coach.  
  
The groom, standing by the lead horse of the perfectly matched four, looked over at him and grinned. "That they are. Raised them myself, I did."  
  
"You don't say?" Val moved close enough to feign interest, but kept watch on the ears and eyes. When the horses started to show the whites, and flick their ears nervously in his direction, he stopped. He could fool humans into thinking he was one of them, but not the horses. "That's one of the best-matched teams I've seen, and I've seen a few."  
  
"They're all brothers and sisters," the groom explained. "Shared the same sire and dam, they did, just a little over a year apart for each. Soran here" -- the groom patted the neck of the bay beside him -- "he's the oldest. He keeps the others in line, don't you, boy?" The gelding snorted in reply. "Sara's the youngest, and the only mare of the lot. She works just as hard as her brothers. We were hoping for a team of geldings, but you know how that goes."  
  
Val forced a chuckle and nodded. "My employer's probably in there now, trying to find out who owns these horse so he can buy them. He's been wanting a set like this for a while now."  
  
"Sorry," the groom replied, grinning. "The Earl won't part with these, not for love or money."  
  
"I don't blame him." Val studied the horses, scowling inwardly. _Damn. Just a title. I could probably make it fly, but give me a name, damnit!_ He risked stepping closer and held out his hand. "I'm Val, I'm the coachman for the Marquess of Agares."  
  
"Rory." The man shook his hand. "I work for the Earl of Themba. Have all my life." He looked at Val curiously. "I've never heard of the Marquess of Agares."  
  
"We're from a long ways off. Over the sea, actually," Val said, keeping a straight face.  
  
"Beyond the barrier, eh? Yeah, I've heard the princess has been sent out a few times in the spirit of, what do they call it? Fostering diplomatic relations?"  
  
"She's been by, yes. So is she still out doing that?"  
  
"Tonight? Man, are you nuts? She's here, of course. Now that the king's kicked the bucket, Philionel's taken the throne."  
  
"So that's why we're here? I haven't heard much, being out on top of the coach and all."  
  
"Yep. He's been coronated, and the ball's celebrating that. I'd wager myself that half of the people and most of the men are here for the princess, though."  
  
"Really, now?" This was interesting.  
  
"She's not married yet, and she's the last heir. So far, she hasn't really given any indication, from what I've heard, that she's trying too hard to snag herself a husband like a proper princess ought to."   
  
Val smirked. "I'm sure she will, sooner or later. Women are supposed to produce heirs, after all."  
  
"No kidding. His Highness is a good leader, but he's a bit too soft with that girl, if you ask me."  
  
"Maybe that'll change." Val looked around. "I should head back and check on my team..."  
  
"I understand. Nice meetin' ya."  
  
"Same to you." Val ducked away out of sight, and recovered the bundle of clothes. Quickly, he changed, and raked his fingers through his hair, making himself more presentable. Grimacing in disdain, he tied the long aqua locks back with a ribbon, and straightened his waistcoat.  
  
Taking care to avoid the groom he hit up for information, Val made his way up to the front door, and, head held high, strode toward the entrance as though he owned the place.  
  
"Halt!" a guard called out, moving to intercept him. "Who are you?"  
  
"Me?" Val looked at the guard as if he were something to be scraped off the bottom of a boot. "You dare ask who _I_ am?"  
  
"Err..." The guard looked a bit more nervous. "It's just that I haven't seen you..."  
  
"Of course you have, man! Can't a body step outside for a walk to escape the stuffy heat in there without being grilled?"  
  
"Well, er, of course, sir, but I don't remember you coming in in the first place."  
  
"Think, man, think! I arrived with the Earl of Themba! Does that ring a bell?"  
  
The guard scratched his head. "Well, I guess you _do_ look familiar, now that you mention it."  
  
"Hey! I know you!" another guard called out, approaching them. Val tensed. "That hair, you can't hide from us!"  
  
Should he make a run for it and hope to find the princess before they caught up, or just blow them to smithereens? Decisions, decisions.  
  
"You're related to Queen Martina, aren't you?"  
  
_Huh?_ Val looked at the second guard blankly for all of one second. "Well, of course I am," he said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I'm her second cousin, twice removed on her father's side." _Who the hell is Queen Martina? Amelia's mother? No, wait, she said her mother was dead. Did Philionel remarry?_  
  
"Our apologies, milord, it's just that there's been attempts on Philionel in the past, and we can't be too careful."  
  
"Yes, yes," he snapped impatiently. "See to it that your friend thinks before talks in the future. If he's capable of thinking at all." Val shot them another haughty look, and strode past them, keeping an eye on the crowd to find his way to the ballroom.  
  


* * *

  
"Haven't you heard a word I've said?"  
  
Amelia looked to the green-haired woman beside her and blinked. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't catch that last part."  
  
Martina rolled her eyes. "And that's why I'm going to have Zoana back to its former glory probably before you have a single heir, if you ever do!"  
  
Amelia smiled thinly, visualizing her hands wrapping around Martina's neck. Tightly.  
  
"Anyway!" Martina tossed her green sausage curls back, causing them to bounce. "I offered to beseech Lord Zoamelgustar on your behalf and ask him to find you a nice, spineless, virile husband for you to control and get some heirs from."  
  
Somehow, Amelia kept from twitching. She just stared at Martina, that thin smile frozen to her lips, and visualized stress relief in the form of telling Miss Lina that Martina insulted her breast size.  
  
"You should be thankful that I'd be willing to do all that for you," Martina continued. "After all, you _did_ destroy Zoana, but I'm willing to let bygones be bygones."  
  
_Can't you just say bye and be gone?_ Amelia drew a deep breath to keep from screaming. "That's very generous of you, Martina, but hardly necessary."  
  
"But us princesses have to stick together, don't you agree?" Martina laughed, and the sound grated on her nerves. "But you're right! I'm not a princess anymore. I'm the _queen_. Which means I'm better than you."  
  
Amelia looked down at the glass of punch in her hand, and wished it had something with a bit more kick than mere champagne. She downed what was left, and made a show of studying her glass. "Of course you are, Martina. You know what? My glass is empty. I'm going to get a refill."  
  
She started to walk away before Martina could protest, then stopped dead in her tracks, staring across the room. "Oh, blessed light..."  
  


* * *

  
Val walked around the edges of the room, trying not to attract too much attention or look too out of place as he constantly scanned the crowd for Amelia. It didn't help that everyone was decked out to the nines, and his best memory of her had her in white traveling clothes, and usually a bit on the scuffed side.  
  
He was about to start making a few hopefully discreet inquiries about her whereabouts when he saw a graceful, dark-haired woman staring at him as if she'd seen a ghost. He narrowed his eyes, trying to decide if that was Amelia, when he saw her mouth his name.  
  
That was enough of a clue for him. He gave her a slight nod of acknowledgment, waiting to see what she would do. A green-haired woman was standing beside her, talking away, but Amelia ignored her and approached Val.  
  
"Your highness," he said, giving her a slight bow, rather aware that they were attracting some attention and keeping up the pretense.  
  
"Valgaav," she said quietly, staring at him, her blue eyes wary but not hostile. He could still see traces of the girl he knew, but this was a woman. She was taller now, maybe as tall as Filia, and her dark hair was swept upward in an elaborate twist rather than falling around her shoulders in a short, slightly unruly bob. She had clearly grown into herself, and moved with a casual elegance that he did not recognize.  
  
"It's just Val now," he corrected her in equally low tones. "Not much point in keeping the 'gaav' part anymore."  
  
Amelia nodded, and was about to say more when the other woman caught up with them.  
  
"Ha! It worked!" she announced triumphantly. "Now you must acknowledge the greatness and sovereignty of Lord Zoamelgustar!"  
  
Amelia covered her face with her hand. Val merely stared at the woman.  
  
"The hell..?"  
  
"And how do you come by that figure?" Amelia asked.  
  
"I sought his aid in finding you a husband, Miss Amelia!"  
  
"Who the hell's Zoamelgustar?"  
  
"My patron monster! See?" The woman thrust her generous chest toward him and pointed to a rather hideous brooch on her dress.  
  
"Your..." Val blinked. "I've never heard of him."  
  
"Of course you haven't. Martina made him up," Amelia explained through gritted teeth.  
  
"Wait, _that's_ Martina?" Val interrupted, feeling a curious mixture of horror and revulsion. "Queen Martina?"  
  
"I see introductions are not necessary for me, for the reputation of my greatness precedes me!" Martina crowed, taking on a victorious stance.  
  
"Oh, by all the gods," Val muttered, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Why?" Amelia asked.  
  
"Never you mind," he muttered, cheeks flaming. He was sorely tempted to go and beat up the guards for even thinking for a moment that he could be related to her.  
  
Amelia studied him a moment longer, then turned to Martina. "After the great and mighty Lord Zoamelgustar did all that work in finding me a potential husband, maybe you should leave us so I can find out if he's suitable."  
  
Val stared at Amelia, wondering if Martina's apparent insanity was contagious.  
  
"Of course!" Martina winked lewdly. "I'll leave you two alone to...heehee! Talk." She elbowed Amelia, giving her another wink, then scurried off.  
  
Amelia remained motionless, her expression unchanging.  
  
Val waited a few moments, and she still didn't move. "Amelia?"  
  
That seemed to snap her out of it, and snap she did, twitching. "That woman's enough to drive a teetotaler into a bottle just to get away from her," Amelia muttered. "Come on, let's get out of here before she comes back."  
  
Amelia led him to a nearby set of doors, and out into a corridor. She exchanged polite greetings with people they passed, the number getting fewer the deeper into the castle they ventured. "Here." She opened another set of doors, walking into a library. She looked around to make sure they were alone, then locked the doors behind them. "Why are you here?"  
  
"Right to the point, I see," Val said, crossing his arms and leaning back against a desk. "Very well. I need help."  
  
"I'm listening."  
  
"I didn't hurt Filia." He sighed, and ripped the annoying ribbon out of his hair, tossing it behind him on the desk. "I can't remember _what_ happened, but I remember enough. I _know_ it wasn't me."  
  
Amelia didn't say anything at first, then she gave him a slight nod. "Let's sit down. Brandy?"  
  
"It might go well with the story." He moved over to the chairs by the fireplace, and watched her pour two glasses from a decanter.  
  
"What's happening?" Amelia asked once she joined him, getting comfortable.  
  
"I'm not exactly sure." He downed half of his glass and set it aside, leaning forward and resting his head in his hands. "I'm starting to remember that day, but a lot of it's foggy. I was out back, chopping wood. The one thing I'm sure of is that I went in there _because_ I heard her screaming."  
  
"Which means someone else was attacking her."  
  
"Right." Val shook his head and sat back, glaring at the fire. "I think it was Xellos. It's the only thing that makes any sense at all."  
  
"Mister Xellos?" Amelia asked quietly, uncertainly. "Why?"  
  
"I went back before coming here. I never saw Filia; I didn't want to get too close. I can't take on Xellos again, not like this." He looked over to Amelia. "I talked to a barmaid; Filia's not been out of the house, possibly in a few years now. Xellos does everything."  
  
"I see."  
  
"He wanted me gone, so he could have her, that much is obvious." Val clenched his fist, trying to keep the murderous feelings of dragonrage in check. The last thing he needed was to scare the princess straight over to Xellos' side. "Jillas and Gravos are gone too. Nobody knows what happened to them."  
  
Amelia was silent for so long that he wondered if he'd failed.  
  
"And you came here because..?" she queried softly.  
  
"Because I need help. If nothing else, then somebody who can go into that shop without endangering everyone, and give me some information about what's going on in there." He hesitated. "Besides, I was hoping that maybe you might know where Inverse is."  
  
"Miss Lina?" Amelia blinked. "Why?"  
  
"Because if anyone could help me protect Filia from that damned Mazoku, it's her. She almost took me down. She can handle Xellos. Maybe not alone, but it's a start."  
  
Amelia just watched the flames, sipping her brandy slowly.  
  
"You don't believe a word I've said, do you?" he asked bitterly.  
  
She still didn't answer, and finished off her glass. "Come with me," she said suddenly, standing.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"To my chambers. There's something else you need to know."  
  
**_to be continued..._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Note to Readers:** My FF.net userinfo has some new details relevant to archivists. Three sites have blanket permission.  
~ Zanne  
  


**Then Came the Dawn**  
Chapter Two

  
  
Val leaned back against the wall, watching the door across from him, waiting for Amelia to come back out. A familiar voice -- no, two familiar voices made him raise an eyebrow. He barely had time to stand straight before the door swung one and he was tackled by a reddish ball of fur.  
  
"AHH!" He staggered back and hit the floor heavily.  
  
"Lord Valgaav!" Jillas cried, hugging him with a death grip.  
  
"Jillas, what are you doing here?" Val groaned, more from the fact he had the wind knocked from him than at the sight of his servant.  
  
"Ya screwy fox, let the man up!"  
  
Val sucked in a gasp of air as he was finally able to breathe again when Jillas was lifted off him. A meaty hand reached down, offering to help him up. He gladly took it and was hauled to his feet. Before Val could get his bearings, he was pulled into another smothering hug.  
  
"Damn glad to see ya, boss!"  
  
"Thanks," he gasped, trying to get some leverage. "Can I breathe now?"  
  
"Oh, sorry!" Gravos set him back, keeping a big hand on his shoulder to steady him.  
  
Val paused for a moment, just getting enough oxygen back in him to make his ears stop ringing, then looked at the two, who were watching him with expectant expressions. "And what the hell are you two doing here?" he asked, his lips twisting into a grin even as he spoke.  
  
"I could ask the same thing," Jillas retorted, clinging to his arm gleefully.  
  
"And they're both long stories," another voice interrupted "so why don't you all come in?"  
  
Val looked to Amelia, who was leaning in the doorway, her arms crossed casually over her middle. She had a soft, amused grin toying at her lips, and pushed away from the door, shaking her head, stepping back into the room. He followed her, looking around at the large room. It seemed to be more of a conglomeration of places; a parlor, a library, an office. Several other doors indicated the presence of more beyond the walls, but none were open for him to glean an idea of what might lay beyond.  
  
Once they were all assembled behind the shut door, Amelia gestured to a chair. "You might want to sit down, Val."  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"Trust me."  
  
Something about the way she said it told him it might be a good idea after all, so he sank down, sitting on the edge of it, hands on his knees. "Now what's going on here?"  
  
"Miss Filia sent her servants to me some time ago," Amelia said, leaning back against her desk. "She was worried about Mister Xellos harming someone, and sent them to protect and deliver something to me which she felt would be the safest here, in a city of white magic, hidden away in the castle."  
  
Val glanced to his servants, who were watching him intently. "That sounds reasonable," he agreed, looking back to Amelia. "What was it?"  
  
Amelia hesitated, then looked across the room to a door. "Nurse Zeeki, you can come out now." Val followed her gaze. An grandmotherly woman appeared behind the opening door, and Val almost missed seeing something else emerge with her.  
  
Everything tilted off kilter when he caught sight of something the size of a large dog padding around a chair into view. The young, fur-covered Dragon sat back on its haunches, feathered wings folded behind, and canted its dark head to the side, studying him. "Aunt 'Melia? Whozat?"  
  
Val shivered, feeling illogically cold as a chill crept down his spine. That was a baby Ancient. The fur, the feathers... yet the eyes...  
  
"Oh, gods," he breathed, knowing the answer even before Amelia confirmed it. He sat back against the chair heavily, slouched, feeling as though the wind had been knocked from him all over again. He rubbed his hand over his mouth, staring.  
  
"Val," she said softly, walking over to crouch by the young Dragon, "I'd like for you to meet your son, Von."  
  
Von purred as Amelia stroked his neck, and butted his head under her other arm, snuggling close. "Whozat?" he insisted again.  
  
Val just stared, trying to find words with little success. His heart and lungs felt constricted, and the enormity of what he was attempting to wrap his mind around seemed too surreal to be true. Amelia's words rang repeatedly in his mind. _Your son..._  
  
Amelia hugged the young Dragon, nuzzling his neck. "Von, this is your father."  
  
Von continued to study him with those big blue eyes -- all Val could do was wonder if she knew he had her eyes -- and then looked to Amelia. "Like Unka Pill?"  
  
"Yes, like Uncle Phil's my Daddy." She stroked his head between his eyes. "Why don't you go over and say hi?"  
  
Von lay his head against Amelia's arm, peeking up at Val, then shyly buried his face against Amelia's stomach and skittered behind her, knocking her off balance from her crouch onto her rear. Amelia squeaked in surprise, clutching fistfuls of fur to keep from falling over completely.  
  
"He hasn't known anyone else," the nurse said, speaking up for the first time as she approached him. "We've kept his existence secret from everyone who's not in this room, His Majesty aside. He hasn't any experience with strangers, so please don't take it personally."  
  
"I'm not," Val whispered, watching Amelia trying to coax Von into being more outgoing. It was an effort to breathe past the lump in his throat. He made a few false starts at talking before he could force out anything coherent, his voice raw to his own hears. "Does...does she know?"  
  
"Who?" the nurse asked.  
  
"Filia." He gestured toward Von, part of his mind struggling to wrap around everything it was seeing, and another part denying it -- no, denying thinking any deeper into it all. Too many questions, too many answers, none of them which he wanted to know, and many of them which he already knew. She had been alone through this, he should have been there, she should have him -- both of them -- at her side. If he thought too much, he feared it would overwhelm him. "Has she... does she..." he stammered, trying to rephrase it in a clearer manner.  
  
"If you're asking if she's ever met her son, no," the nurse said, and Val nodded slightly. "She sent the egg to Miss Amelia as soon as possible."  
  
"Yeah, Xellos never knew about him," Jillas said. "Oneesan had it all worked out. She really fooled him."  
  
A sick feeling settled low in Val's stomach. "She fooled Xellos?" It rang false in his ears. He found himself praying inwardly -- to whom, to what, he couldn't say -- that she was successful, and yet... yet he knew the Mazoku. To think that she even tried...   
  
"Yeah." Gravos shook his head. "She fooled _me_ for a while, that's for sure. She was acting all sweet on him and everything. She had me and Jillas working on a special wagon to cart the egg here in secret, made up a story why she needed an ox, and did everything she could to make Xellos think she was putting you outta her life."  
  
Val closed his eyes, feeling ill at the wave of guilt sweeping over him. The barrette, settled in his pocket, felt painfully heavy. It wasn't because she wanted to, but because she _had_ to. And the odds of her actually succeeding as well as they said... "One last question," he whispered.  
  
"Yeah, boss?"  
  
"Why here? Why not to me?" When no answer came, he opened his eyes, looking them. Jillas and Gravos exchanged glances.  
  
"She was afraid Xellos would kill you. He threatened to kill her if she did anything that even looked like she might be trying to get in touch with you," Jillas explained quietly.  
  
He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, covering his face with his hand, and tried to breathe. All the less than generous thoughts about her which had plagued him for so long now felt like thorns in his side, his heart. "Is she okay?" he whispered. When no one answered immediately, his heart tightened to the point of physical pain.  
  
"She's a survivor," Jillas replied.  
  
Val stared at him. "That's not what I asked."  
  
"But that's the answer you're getting."  
  
It wasn't good enough. Val finally looked away from Jillas to Amelia. "How soon can we get Inverse here?" he asked hoarsely.  
  
"I'm still working on ideas to get her attention as quickly as possible. I'm not sure where she's at. We'll find her, though," Amelia replied quietly. The room was silent. Across the way, a mantle clock, resting on its namesake, began to count out the eleventh hour with delicate chimes.  
  
"Will she help? I know she's friends with Xellos..." He wasn't sure what he'd do if the answer were 'no'.  
  
"Friends? Allies, enemies, mutual users, yes. They understand each other, but I wouldn't call them friends," Amelia said. "And yes, I think she'll help."  
  
"What wrong?" Von cooed softly, nuzzling Amelia.  
  
Amelia hugged the young Dragon. "Nothing's wrong, there's just a lot of surprises."  
  
"'Prise'a fun!" he trilled, sitting up and looking around. "Wheres'a pressa?"  
  
"No, Von. This isn't the kind of surprise that comes with getting presents," she explained.  
  
Val watched the exchange, and managed a faint smile. As much as he hated it, there was nothing he could do for his mate at that moment. But in the here and now, there was their son. "I'm not so sure about that," he said quietly, and slowly moved off the chair to sit on the floor, holding his hand out.  
  
Von eyed him critically, studying his hand. "Gotta pressa for me?" he asked slowly, his tone contemplative as if attempting to ascertain whether it would be worth going over to the stranger if there was a present involved.  
  
Val reached into his pocket, pulling out the barrette. He had cleaned and polished it while walking to Seyruun, and it sparkled in the lights. "It's your mother's barrette."  
  
"Hmmm." Von studied him, but Val recognized the eager look. It was a rare Dragon who could turn his back on jewels and gold, and a young Dragon didn't even care if it were real, just so long as it shone. Von pulled away from Amelia, still timid, but the siren call of a potential addition to his hoard was too great to resist.  
  
Von stopped just out of reach, and stretched out a paw to pluck it off Val's hand. The hatchling skittered back another step away, and inspected the barrette. "Shiny!"  
  
"What do you say to your father, Von?" Amelia rebuked gently.  
  
"Shiny!" Von repeated.  
  
"No, you say 'thank you'."  
  
"SHINY!" Von insisted stubbornly, clutching the barrette to himself.  
  
Val couldn't help but chuckle. "It's all right, Amelia. From our kind, that's as good as it can get."  
  
Amelia sighed and shook her head as she got to her feet, making a token effort at smoothing out the wrinkles in the formal gown she still wore. Val saw a faint smile cross her face as she watched Von sit back on his haunches, inspecting every sparkle and facet of the barrette intensely.  
  
"How old is he?" Val asked. "Two?"  
  
Amelia nodded. "Going on three," she replied, moving to a chair. "How are you holding up?"  
  
"I wouldn't turn down another glass of brandy, that's for sure," he said quietly, his mind too full to pull out any one clear, coherent thought.  
  
"I..." Before Amelia could finish, the door swung open and a huge bear of a man with a big bushy moustache, and wild dark hair topped off by a golden crown, clad in the finest white and gold silks, stormed in.  
  
"What's this I hear about you getting married?" he demanded, then looked at Val, pointing to him. "Is it him? Who is he?"  
  
Amelia squeezed her eyes shut tightly in annoyance. "That does it! The next time I see Miss Lina, I'm telling her that Martina was singing songs about her small chest!"  
  
"Well? What's going on?" said the man, who Val guessed was likely the King.  
  
"Daddy, I'm _not_ getting married. Not yet, and not to him," Amelia explained. "This is Mister Val, Von's father."  
  
If Val thought that would calm the man down, he was mistaken.  
  
"What?" Philionel bellowed, causing Von to startle and zip behind Amelia's chair, peeking out from under it. "You brought him into your chambers after what he did? Without protection?"  
  
The nurse clucked in annoyance. "Your Majesty, do watch yourself," she scolded as she walked over to Amelia's chair and stooped to pet the frightened hatchling.  
  
"Daddy, he didn't do _anything_!" Amelia protested. "We just pieced all the parts together! It's a trick, an evil, unjust trick by Mister Xellos! He's defying true love and trying to keep Miss Filia and Mister Val apart!"  
  
Philionel was quiet for a moment, then looked to Val. "Is this true?" he asked gruffly.  
  
Val gave him a curt nod, biting back a few dozen scathing comments with no small effort.  
  
"I'll assemble the army. Tomorrow we'll set out for--"  
  
"DADDY!"  
  
"_What_?"  
  
"We need Miss Lina, not an army."  
  
"Ah, yes. Lina, wonderful girl, that. Just keep her from casting any spells here."  
  
"I'll try, Daddy. But I need you to do something."  
  
"What's that, princess?"  
  
"I want to hold a cooking contest. Send the messengers out to spread the world across the land for the best chefs to come to Seyruun for a cooking competition, with prizes for the best. Invite people to come out and be taste-testers and judges."  
  
"Shouldn't we find Lina instead of doing this?"  
  
"Daddy, I know Miss Lina and her stomach. As soon as she hears about this, wild Mazoku couldn't keep her away. But, it needs to be a real competition, with real food and real chefs. Otherwise, Miss Lina might get angry." Amelia sweatdropped. "And we don't want to get Miss Lina angry."  
  
"She destroyed half of Seyruun while in a good mood, I don't want to know what she'll do if she's in a bad one," Philionel agreed, and sighed, nodding. "I'll write up the announcement in a while, and send out the messengers in the morning. What should the prize be?"  
  
"I'll leave that up to you, Daddy. But the competition should begin in two week's time. Not so long that it would be forever, but not so soon that it would risk being over before she hears about it and can get here." Amelia narrowed her eyes, studying the floor. "One other thing..."  
  
"Yes, princess?"  
  
Amelia hesitated, appearing torn, then finally shook her head. "Nothing, Daddy. I thought I had something else, but..." She shrugged her thin shoulders. There was something different to her demeanor, something sadder, but Val couldn't quite pin down what.  
  
Philionel studied her as if trying to decide whether to buy her excuses, then nodded. As he opened the door, he paused. "So you're _not_ getting married?"  
  
"Not anytime soon, Daddy." Amelia smiled, but there was an off-note in her tone somewhere.  
  
"Hmm." Philionel nodded once and left. Val couldn't decide if the King was pleased, or disappointed.   
  
Amelia stood, looking more tired than she had only a few minutes prior. "I'll call for a maid to prepare some chambers here in the castle for you to stay at in the meantime, if you'd like, or you can stay with Jillas and Gravos?" She looked to the two servants, who both nodded eagerly.  
  
"Either way would be fine." He watched her, then started to get to his feet. "Do you want me to step out?"  
  
"No, that's okay. This place is more like a small house," she said, gesturing vaguely. "I'm just going to change. You can stay, please stay. Your son should have a chance to get to know you."  
  
Val nodded, watching her. "Are you all right?"  
  
Amelia paused, then managed a small smile, nodding. "It's just... it was already a very long day, even before you showed up."  
  
"Then turn in if you need to. Don't worry about me. Any questions I have, I'm sure Jillas and Gravos can field for the time being, and the nurse can help with Von," Val replied. "We've got at least two weeks; we can talk more later."  
  
Amelia nodded. "I think I'll do that, then. Thank you."  
  
Val watched her disappear past a set of doors, wondering for a moment longer what she had been about to say to her father. When the door latched shut, he put it out of his mind and turned back toward Von.  
  
The young Dragon peeked out from around the nurse, studying him. "More shiny?"  
  
"I don't have any more right now," Val replied, shifting position to lay on his side, propped up on his elbow.  
  
"Oh..." Von's ears drooped slightly for a moment, then perked again. "You Daddy?"  
  
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Yes," Val replied. It was getting harder to stay where he was, and not scoop up the small Dragon in a tight hug.  
  
"Oh." Von digested the information, then bobbed his head in a short nod. He held up the barrette again. "Shiny!"  
  
"Why do I get the feeling that was your first word?" he asked, amused.  
  
"Actually, Lord Valgaav, it was 'food'. But 'shiny' was his second," Jillas said.  
  
"That would've been my next guess." Val didn't take his eyes off Von. "That was your mother's, you know."  
  
"What?" Von chirped, tearing his gaze from the barrette.  
  
"That. The shiny. It belonged to your mother."  
  
"Ooooo..." he purred, looking at it again. "Filia-mama!"  
  
"We've been telling him about her," Jillas explained. "Miss Amelia felt bad when he first started calling her mother instead, so we corrected him."  
  
"I'm sure Filia would appreciate it," Val said softly, trying to will away the stinging sensation in his eyes. "We've got to get her safe..."  
  
"We will, boss," Gravos said. "We'll find a way, don't we always?"  
  
"I suppose we do..." Val fell silent, just watching Von play with the barrette for a bit, until the young Dragon started yawning sleepily.  
  
"It's past his bedtime," the nurse said, stepping over. "Come along, Von, say good night."  
  
"Goo'night mis'er Jillas, mis'er Gravos," he said, and started to put the barrette in his mouth, then paused. "Goo'night, Daddy."  
  
Val's breath caught in his lungs, and he swallowed hard. "Good night, Von," he said softly.  
  
The young Dragon trilled, a sleepy but happy sound, and followed the nurse out to his bedroom, the barrette clutched firmly in his jaws.  
  
_to be continued..._  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Note to Readers:** I just wanted to thank all of you for your kind words and support. I'm glad you're enjoying this tale as much as I'm enjoying writing it.  
~ Zanne  
  


**Then Came the Dawn**  
Chapter Three

  
  
Val barely slept that night. Granted, he wasn't exactly tired, but Gravos' snoring didn't help. He sat by the window of their room, looking out over the courtyard, wondering how Jillas ever managed to catch a wink amid the racket. After all this time, he supposed the foxman was used to it.  
  
Funny how he never noticed it before. But then, in his cave, they not only had more room to spread out, but while he was still a Mazoku, sleep had not been necessary.  
  
Shortly before sunrise, he could hear noise from the courtyard below as servants began to tend to their daily chores, and then as first light was breaking, there were faint, occasional suggestions of life moving about inside, barely audible through the thick stone walls and heavy doors.  
  
Further away, he could hear various roosters, and the lowing of cattle. Scents from the city were carried up on the breeze as fresh bread finished baking for the day's sales, and other foodstuff came into play.  
  
Behind him, within the room, he heard a deep snort, and a bed creaking under Gravos' heavy bulk. A higher-pitch sneeze came from another direction, quickly followed by an annoyed-sounding whimper.  
  
"Up already, boss?" Gravos mumbled, the bed creaking again. Val heard heavy feet land on the floor.  
  
"Couldn't really sleep very well," Val replied, not moving from the window. "Too much to think about."  
  
"Everything will be okay, Lord Valga--" Val cut Jillas off with a sharp look. The foxman put his ears back meekly. "Sorry. Lord Val."  
  
"You can drop the 'lord' bit. It's not a title I've any right to, and besides, around here, it would raise a lot of questions best left unasked."  
  
"What should I call you then?" Jillas asked, sitting up.  
  
"Just Val will suit me fine."  
  
"Okay... Val." Jillas sounded uncomfortable, as if the name by its mere self felt alien in his mouth. "Everything will be just fine, you'll see."  
  
"I'll believe it when I see it. And mark my words, I've every intention of seeing it come to pass." He looked over, seeing them dress for the day. "You two in a hurry to get somewhere?"  
  
"It's breakfast time for Von. The maids bring up our breakfast too. We almost always eat with Miss Amelia and Von in her parlor."  
  
Val smiled faintly. "That sounds like a good idea. Mind if I join you?"  
  
Gravos snorted. "Mind? Boss, if you don't get yourself dressed and out the door with us, I'm dragging you along, ready or not."  
  
Val smirked. "That would be an interesting sight. All right, give me a few minutes."  
  


* * *

  
Although Von and the nursemaid had been up and about, it was some time after the clocks chimed ten before Amelia made an appearance. Von looked up as the inner chamber door opened, and quickly released the rope he had been clutching in his jaws, causing Val to tumble backwards unprepared.  
  
"Aun' 'Melia!" Von scampered over to the door as Amelia stepped through, rubbing her eyes. Val flinched as he saw the young Dragon leaping up to pounce her, knowing she couldn't possibly see him coming. He quickly scrambled to his feet even though he knew he wouldn't get there in time to catch her, but he soon realized he didn't need to worry.  
  
"Von!" she said sharply, evading him. "No!"  
  
The young Dragon went sailing past her, barely clipping the edge of her simple, blue morning dress, and crashed on the floor, skidding a bit as Amelia continued on into the sitting room. She looked exhausted, as if she hadn't slept at all, with dark circles around her eyes, more noticeable against her pale skin.  
  
"Good morning, Miss Amelia!" Jillas piped up, looking up from the hand of cards he held. Across the table from him, Gravos offered a wave.  
  
"It was cute when he was a wee little thing," Amelia said, sitting down in a chair as Von came trotting out of her bedroom, looking sheepish. "I should have realized better. Now I'm trying to break that habit. He's a bit too heavy to go around pouncing people now." She pulled her hair out from behind her, and for the first time, Val noticed it was longer than what he recalled. It hung a bit below her shoulders, and was currently tied back with a simple bow by a blue ribbon.  
  
Val chuckled, taking a seat in another chair as he watched Von contritely headbutt Amelia's hand, wanting to be petted and consoled. "I'm sure he'll grow out of it."  
  
"I hope so." Amelia smirked wryly. "Can you just see him fully grown and still pouncing people?"  
  
"I wonder how big he'll get. He's half Golden, so I can't be sure, although he looks like a pureblood Ancient."  
  
"Does that make a difference?"  
  
"It might. Ancients were larger than Goldens. A very old Golden would still be larger than I am, for example, since a Dragon never stops growing throughout its lifetime. But within the same age group, an Ancient would have been the bigger of the two."  
  
"And stronger?"  
  
Val nodded.  
  
Amelia chewed her bottom lip for a moment. "I'm sorry if I'm on a bad topic, I haven't had my tea yet, and my brain's still not up to speed."  
  
Val waved his hand. "Don't worry about it." He watched Von as the young Dragon closed his eyes, purring happily while Amelia scratched his ears. "Did you have a rough night?"  
  
Amelia paused in her attentions on Von, her gaze growing distant for a moment. "Just a lot on my mind."  
  
"Likewise. But you need more sleep than I do."  
  
She shrugged and gave him a slight smile. "That's life. I'll deal."  
  
Jillas dropped his cards and hurried to the door as the bell started swinging, jangling quietly. Val looked up and saw it was attached to a pulley that disappeared through the wall to the other side.  
  
"Thanks, miss." Jillas stepped back, staggering under the weight of a tray, laden with various silver-covered dishes, and Gravos rolled his eyes.  
  
"Need a hand?"  
  
"Or just your muscles," Jillas groaned.  
  
Gravos took the tray from the foxman before he collapsed, and carried it over to Amelia. "Your breakfast, miss," he said, setting it down on the table beside her.  
  
"Thank you, you two," Amelia said, picking up the silver teapot and pouring herself a cup before doing anything else. Von curiously sniffed the tray.  
  
"For me?" he piped up, looking at Amelia with huge, hopeful eyes.  
  
She smirked slightly. "You've already had breakfast. This is mine."  
  
Von hung his head; he was either contrite or sulking, Val wasn't sure. "You know, we could take him out of here if he learned how to transform," Val suggested. "Give you a chance for peace and quiet, and give him a chance to see more things."  
  
"That would be good for him," Amelia agreed, and gave him a small grin. "And of course, the fact that I'm curious what he'd look like has nothing to do with it."  
  
"None at all." Val grinned back, and studied Von. "It's been so long. I'm trying to remember how I was taught."  
  
Amelia poured syrup over pancakes and sausage, keeping a close eye on the young Dragon, who in turn was keeping a close eye on her tray. "We'll figure out something; I can always speak with Mister Milgazia if necessary."  
  
"If necessary, I suppose." Val didn't feel particularly enthusiastic about it. He moved off the chair, kneeling on the floor, and picked up the rope again. "Come on, Von. Let Aunt Amelia eat in peace," he said, trying to tempt him away from the tray.  
  
Von eyed the rope, then looked back to the tray before looking to Val. "Food."  
  
Amelia closed her eyes, fighting down a chuckle even if her expression was exasperated. "_My_ food," she told Von. The young Dragon responded by placing his chin on her knee, looking up at her adoringly. "No. You had your breakfast, this is _my_ breakfast."  
  
Von's reply was to bat his eyes, whimpering pathetically and nuzzling her knee, gazing up at her imploringly.  
  
Amelia peered at him out of the corner of her eye before closing her eyes in a huff. "You realize I'm becoming immune to that begging trick of yours, don't you?"  
  
"No, you not," he countered, trilling softly and making himself look as adorable as possible. "You wuff me."  
  
Val bit his lip, struggling to keep quiet. Amelia, however, couldn't fight back a laugh this time, shaking her head. "Yes, I love you, you little silly, but you're still not getting my breakfast! Besides, you'll spoil your lunch. It's almost noon."  
  
"Share! You no hungry at noon if you eat all now," he reasoned.  
  
Amelia looked at Val. "I don't know where he gets it from, I really don't."  
  
Val started chuckling. "He's a baby Dragon. It goes with the territory."  
  
"Yeah?" Amelia took another bite, quiet for a moment until she swallowed. "Were you ever this bad?"  
  
He widened his eyes, putting his hand over his heart. "Me? Of course not! I was a perfect angel. He must get that from his mother."  
  
"Ha."  
  
"Ha?"  
  
"Yes. _Ha_."  
  
"What, you don't believe me?" he asked. Amelia shot him a look as she stuck her fork in her mouth, and shook her head. "Well, I was. But since I lack a way to convince you, I suppose we'll change the subject."  
  
Amelia smirked, sipping her tea. "Fair enough."  
  
"Miss Amelia, we'll take him into the playroom so you can eat," Jillas volunteered, standing.  
  
"Thank you, Mister Jillas."  
  
"No want go!" Von whined.  
  
"You've already had yer breakfast, ya little doof," Gravos retorted good-naturedly, bending over to pick up the protesting Dragon. Von snapped his jaws at him, but Gravos was quick to adjust his grip on Von in a way that would prevent him from getting bit.  
  
When Amelia made no move to discipline him for it, Val considered intervening, but watched to see what Gravos would do. It would probably go over better from the ogre, he rationalized, rather than from himself. Von was still getting used to him.  
  
Gravos didn't let Von get away with the attempt to bite him. The young Dragon's fit of temper earned him a light bat on the nose. "Ya know better than that, boy."  
  
Von grumbled, but settled down. Val shook his head in amusement as he watched his servants take a still-protesting Von into another room, then looked at Amelia as the door shut behind them. "I do have a question, but it kind of fell by the wayside last night on top of everything else."  
  
"Yeah?" She reached for a muffin, spreading whipped butter over it.  
  
"Who's this Martina character? She's not your stepmother or anything, is she?" Amelia froze as still as a statue, then slowly turned her head until her wide-eyes were riveted to his face. She blinked twice, he couldn't recall ever seeing someone pull off a look that was perfectly expressionless, yet completely incredulous at once before. He scratched the back of his head. She stared at him. He smirked in amusement. Stare. "I take that as a 'no'."  
  
Amelia suddenly moved and twitched again, a full body shudder. "Thank you, Val. So much for my appetite. That was a horrible, scary, bad, evil, and above all, completely _unjust_ thought."  
  
"What, you don't like her very much?" Val asked, still giving her an amused smirk.  
  
She blinked, and looked at him again. "Are we even talking about the same person?"  
  
"Point taken. So, how is it that you know someone like that?"  
  
"Some years ago, the King of Zoana was increasing his militia and planning to take over Seyruun. I was sent to give them one last chance to comply by the treaty and avoid war, or face the fate of the unjust."  
  
"Face the...?" Val raised an eyebrow, then shook his head. "Anyway, go on."  
  
"They had other plans."  
  
"Naturally."  
  
"Naturally. They hired a mage to defeat me because of my reputation. They planned to hold me for ransom."  
  
Val had the impression she was pausing for effect. "And?"  
  
"And the mage turned out to be Mister Zelgadis."  
  
"Zel, that blue rock fellow?"  
  
"Mmmhmm. He defeated me without a single attack, unless you count psychological warfare."  
  
Val blinked. "What happened?"  
  
"Why, the sheer injustice of it all! Two allies, two friends, made by fate and chance to be enemies who must battle to the death! Alas, what a day, what an injustice against the power of love and the beauty of friendship! Trickery and guile of the worst sort, using my love for Mister Zelgadis against me! But they should have known that their wicked ways would be their downfall, and justice would reign supreme and triumph in the glorious end!"  
  
Amelia leapt up into a dramatic pose, and Val sweatdropped. What was it with princesses being a few platters shy of a full meal? Not that he had much room to talk, he'd admit, but still... Then his eyes met hers and he saw the faintest trace of an amused smirk tugging her lips, and a mischievous twinkle in her blue eyes.  
  
"_Anyway_, Miss Lina showed up looking for Zoana's copy of the Claire Bible," Amelia continued, sitting down and speaking as calmly as if nothing out of the ordinary just occurred. "She wound up destroying the castle instead, got Mister Zelgadis to see the folly of his alliance to his employers -- the fact that Miss Lina already had the copy well in hand helped, I'll admit -- and that's when Martina powered up this huge battle golem."  
  
"A wha...how did she come by that?"  
  
"It was in the book. It was also very old and didn't work quite right, so it wound up backfiring and launching random shots around the town, destroying it."  
  
Val covered his eyes, shaking his head slightly.  
  
"It gets better."  
  
"Oh, no."  
  
"Yep. It also was immune to most magic attacks, which made stopping it a challenge." Amelia paused for a heartbeat. "For anyone but Miss Lina, that is."  
  
"Oh, _no_..." Val had a feeling where it was heading.  
  
"Oh, _yes_. Mister Gourry, Mister Zelgadis and I sounded the alert and warned the citizens of Zoana to clear the area. Miss Lina cast a Dragon Slave, the golem was destroyed..."  
  
"...along with most of Zoana," Val guessed.  
  
"Right. As a result, Martina decided she was Miss Lina's sworn enemy, and vowed revenge upon her, forgetting that she practical begged Miss Lina to stop the golem she herself activated without any clue what she was really doing. It only got interesting when she decided she wanted Lina out of the way so she could have babies with Mister Gourry and rebuild Zoana. Once she got over Mister Gourry, she wanted to marry Mister Xellos and live happily ever after."  
  
Val blinked. "This probably goes without saying, but is she _insane_?"  
  
"Oh, completely," Amelia said, her tone as matter-of-factly as if she were discussing the weather. "To her credit, she dropped him like a hot potato when she found out he was a Mazoku."  
  
"So she's crazy, but not stupid then?"  
  
Amelia hesitated. "Err...okay, I'll give her that much."  
  
"Is she still trying to snare somebody?"  
  
"No, and count your blessings, 'cause she just might have gone after you next."  
  
Val shuddered. "I'm counting them, don't worry. So who's the poor sap?"  
  
"A swordsman named Zangulus. I'm still not sure what he sees in her, but..." She shrugged.  
  
"Are they still here?"  
  
"I hope not. But we're probably not that lucky. I just hope they're gone before Miss Lina arrives."  
  
"Does Martina still have a grudge against her?"  
  
"I quit trying to figure that out." Amelia picked up her fork again, apparently recovering her appetite. "It's a bit of a trick understanding how her mind works, and a trick I'm probably better off _not_ learning. All in all, there's another reason for it. We don't need to waste time while King Zangulus tries to challenge Mister Gourry into yet _another_ duel. That family has the absolute worst timing of anyone I've ever met." Amelia smirked. "Myself included."  
  
"What, you have bad timing too?"  
  
"Let's just be kind and say that there's been a few moments where I've been a bit out of sync with the others," she replied.  
  
Val smirked. "At least you're honest about it." Amelia raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, of course I am," she replied. "It's not very becoming for a champion of justice to lie."  
  
"You're still into that justice thing?" he asked curiously, crossing his legs and sitting back in the chair. Immediately, he wished he'd phrased it a bit better as her eyes took on a slightly wounded look.  
  
"I still believe in the cause of justice," she said quietly, turning her gaze to the window.  
  
Val studied her. "I should have phrased that better, but do I hear a 'but' in there somewhere?"  
  
"But...just not like before." Amelia looked back at him. "Don't let on about it to Daddy. I _do_ believe in justice. I just...it's not as black and white as he believes, or as I once thought things were."  
  
"No," he agreed quietly. "It's not."  
  
"I learned that from you, and from Gaav." She gave him a sad smile, but her gaze was steady.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"For the longest time back then, we thought our enemy was Gaav. He was either trying to get Miss Lina onto his side, or kill her."  
  
Val nodded slightly. "I remember."  
  
"Well, it turns out that if you really stop and think about it, we were on the same side." Amelia paused, sipping her tea. "Phibrizo wanted to do two things; lure out Gaav to kill him, and trap Miss Lina into casting a Giga Slave to destroy the world. Gaav was trying to stop Miss Lina to prevent Phibrizo's plans from coming to fruition. I know Miss Lina. If she had known, she might have at least worked with Gaav against Phibrizo rather than let him do all he did."  
  
Val couldn't help but think that if she had, then perhaps Gaav would not have been killed.  
  
"He wasn't our enemy, not really. Not the way Phibrizo was. He was..." Amelia closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'd heard the saying before but I never understood it until that day, 'the lesser of the two evils'. I always wondered how any one evil could be less than another. I learned that lesson."  
  
Val couldn't decide if it were for the better that Amelia discovered the world wasn't strictly black and white, or if something important had died with that understanding.  
  
"You taught me even more. You taught me that not only was the world in murky shades of gray, and that good and evil were nebulous terms, but that justice was a cause worthy of holding onto with my last breath."  
  
He arched an eyebrow. "That sounds like a contradiction. How'd I manage that?"  
  
"You recall when we first met that day in the desert. I of course thought we were enemies."  
  
He smirked wryly. "We were."  
  
"Yes, I know." She returned the ironic expression. "But you weren't evil. I stopped seeing you as evil. I just saw someone in pain, someone who suffered a horrible injustice. I saw those who I thought were champions of good fall off that pedestal, and saw their veneer crack. I saw what was beneath it, black mire of lies and deceit. I saw the worst injustices of all there under a mask I thought was good. I saw hypocrisy, and evil committed in the name of justice, in the name of what was right."  
  
She shook her head, rubbing her damp eyes slightly. "I saw then that justice was not infallible, and that it's possible to become so blinded by one's beliefs, one can become just as fanatical to the point of no longer seeing reason. I saw that in them, and I saw that in you."  
  
Amelia looked at him. "You taught me never to give up believing that justice was a good thing, a necessary thing, and something worth believing in, and at the same time, you taught me never to believe in something so much that I can't see anything else beyond my own perception."  
  
He watched her, listening to the unsteadiness in her voice, seeing the wetness in her eyes. "I can't deny it's probably a very valuable lesson," he said quietly after a moment, "but I can't deny either that it's obvious it's a lesson that comes with a heavy price."  
  
"It's a price worth paying. The first casualty of any war is innocence. The struggle against injustice is still a war in itself, and it's a war I'll never stop fighting. But they're..." She shrugged, and smiled slightly. "They're unavoidable battle wounds. I like to think I would have learned this lesson at some point or another in life."  
  
Val hesitated. "Maybe not," he suggested quietly. "I mean, well, how do I put this?"  
  
She tilted her head, her expression considering. "You're wondering about my father, aren't you?" Val nodded. "I think I know why. I don't remember him before my mother was killed, I barely even remember her at all. I think, though, that his passion for justice became his lifeline. Just like your determination to avenge Gaav's death."  
  
"That makes sense," he said softly. Another moment past in silence, and a thought weighed heavily on his mind. "I'm sorry."  
  
She looked at him, surprised. "You have nothing to apologize for."  
  
"I do. That day at Filia's? I was out of line. I'm sorry for what I said, and thank you for telling me the truth."  
  
She offered him a tiny smile, wiping her eyes. "A lie is a terribly unjust thing to tell."  
  
"I think, based off everything Filia probably knew and had available to her, if she honestly felt that sending our son away was the right choice to make, I think she made the right choice by sending him to you."  
  
Her smile grew just a bit more, and had an additional bit of warmth. "Thank you, Mister Val."  
  
_to be continued..._  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Note to Readers:** Sorry this update has been so delayed -- it's been a busy summer.  
~ Zanne  
  


**Then Came the Dawn**  
Chapter Four

  
  
Amelia put down her quill and carefully used a towel to wipe ink smudges off her hands, massaging them as she did. Penning out official correspondence and thank you messages to those who attended the coronation ball the previous week ranked high on her list of despised tasks.  
  
"You look beat," Val observed, looking over from the other side of the room where he was playing with Von.  
  
"Don't let anyone ever tell you that being royalty is easy," Amelia said. "At least, not if the royalty's worth anything."  
  
"Are you finished?"  
  
She nodded. "Finally. It's extremely tedious to write out a few hundred copies of what's basically the same letter over and over and over, _ad nauseam_."  
  
"Don't you have any court officials you could foist that off onto?"  
  
"If it were absolutely necessary, yes. But this is part of my diplomatic training to prepare me for the eventually succession to the throne." Amelia blinked quickly as a sudden stinging sensation cropped up in her eyes and the bridge of her nose.  
  
"Amelia?"  
  
"It's nothing, just...I hate thinking of that, because it only means one thing."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Something's happened to my daddy." She looked up, trying to smile.  
  
"He'll be fine, Amelia."  
  
"Someding 'appen?" Von asked, looking between his father and Amelia, his facial features starting to scrunch up in worry.  
  
Val ruffled the fur on his head. "No, nothing's happened." His eyes met Amelia's again. "And nothing _will_."  
  
She smiled slightly. "I suppose you're ri--" A distant explosion cut her off, and she gasped.  
  
Von skittered under a chair, nearly toppling it over as all four legs were raised off the ground by his size, and Val scrambled to his feet. "Bloody hell, somebody's got lousy timing!" he snapped, hurrying over to the window. "I don't see any...oh, wait. There's some smoke over there."  
  
Amelia moved up to his side, looking out just in time to see a distant flash from the same relative vicinity, quickly followed by a faint boom as the sound reached them. "Oh, my. This is either a very _bad_ thing, or a very good thing." She turned from the window, hurrying to the door.  
  
"Good?" Val shot her an incredulous look. "How could this be good?"  
  
"There's a chance it's Miss Lina." Val was silent, then she heard him groan, "oh, by all the gods," as she opened the door, looking out into the hall. "Gravos!" She waved her hand, seeing the two servants hurrying toward the room. "Come and take Von to the inner chambers until we know what's happening."  
  
"Already fixin' to," Gravos replied as Amelia stepped back to let them in. He had no difficulty in lifting the chair off of Von, and picking up the wide-eyed hatchling. "Git the door, Jillas," he said as the foxman darted across the room to open the way to the inner chambers.  
  
Amelia started to shut the door when rushing footsteps caught her attention.  
  
"Your highness!"  
  
She looked out the door, seeing a guard running at top speed toward the room. Hastily, she looked back to ascertain that Jillas, Gravos, and Von were out of sight, and stepped aside to let the guard in. He almost didn't stop in time to make the turn into the room, then bowed low, panting.  
  
"I apologize for the intrusion, your highness," he said in between gasps.  
  
"What is it?" Amelia asked.  
  
"The woman you've had us keeping watch for is here, we think. She's currently in something of a rage, trying to demolish a restaurant, ranting about the cooking contest for some reason."  
  
Amelia grinned widely and gave Val a victory gesture. "The fish took the bait. Go back at once and inform her at once that a dinner in her honor is being prepared here, and you are to escort her to me, as well as any companions. Also, _do_ let the chef know she's en route, and send a cleric to erect a white magic barrier over the dining room, or at least the general area of the table, to forestall any eavesdroppers."  
  
"Yes, of course. At once, your Highness." The guard bowed once more, then departed.  
  
Val was smirking when the guard left. "Well, I'll give you credit. You know how to fish."  
  
"The secret's all in knowing what to put on the hook. Shall we go down to the dining room to greet them?"  
  
"Lead the way."  
  
Amelia grinned, although butterflies were starting to form in her stomach as the moment of truth drew closer. "Val...?"  
  
He arched an eyebrow, looking at her, then sighed. "I'm not going to start trouble."  
  
She nodded, and stepped out the door. "Good."  
  
"I might _finish_ it," he muttered quietly as he followed her out into the hall.  
  
"Val!"  
  
"But I won't start it!"  
  
Amelia covered her eyes as she hung her head. "And the Capital just finally finished getting rebuilt a couple years ago, too! Val, please, we don't need any _more_ collateral damage than what's already been had this afternoon."  
  
"Don't tell me she destroyed this city too?"  
  
"No." Amelia started walking down the stairs. "Just a part of it."  
  
"You got off easy, then."  
  
"Yes, and I beg of you, please remember that."  
  
"I said I wouldn't start anything!"  
  
"Just let me handle the talking part until I get everything straightened up?" Amelia frowned, thinking. "I've got a better idea. Go wait for us in the dining room. I'll intercept them and try to get the situation cleared _before_ you meet."  
  
"All right. The sooner we get things out of the way, the sooner we can go after Filia," he said as he opened the door to the dining room.  
  
"Wait!" Amelia hopped on one foot, then the other as she yanked off her shoes, handing them over. "Put those by my chair."  
  
"Wha..?" Val raised an eyebrow in confusion, but she didn't stop to explain. Barefoot, and unhindered by the narrow high heels, she sprinted easily down the corridors for the exit.   
  
Amelia knew the further away from the castle she was able to intercept Lina and Gourry, the better chance she'd have at actually having time to explain Val's presence. Once those two were ready for food, not much could stop them. Her long, full skirts were starting to hinder her, so she fisted her hands over the material, gathering them up to mid-calf. As she rounded a corner, her tiara almost slid off her head. And so, she raced by the guards at the front entrance with one hand holding up her skirts, and the other keeping her tiara in place. They jumped back in surprise, caught off-guard by antics the now-sophisticated crown princess had not indulged in since she was a teenager.  
  
Amelia regretted relinquishing her shoes in favor of speed once she got out over the cobblestones. The lack of either heavy traveling or venturing out of doors barefooted had allowed her soles to soften enough for her to feel the tiny little sharp pebbles scattered randomly over the otherwise smooth stones. She started to slow down, then a lovely mental visual of Lina encountering Valgaav without knowing anything about what was happening, and the resulting inevitable mass destruction was motivation enough.  
  
Still, her speed was somewhat reduced, and that proved to be to her advantage as she had just enough time to skid to a halt before running full tilt into the sorceress and the swordsman. "Miss Lina! Mister Gourry!"  
  
"Do we know her?" Gourry asked.  
  
Lina's eye twitched. "Do we know her, you noodles for brains?!" He tried to evade the incoming fist, but she was too quick. It hit his skull with a resounding thunk. "That's Amelia." Lina turned back to her, looking up. "You've gotten a lot taller though, and your hair..."  
  
"It's a bit longer, yeah." Amelia quickly hugged them both. "It's so good to see you! It's been too long."  
  
"Well, you had to know we couldn't stay away once we found out about your cooking contest," Lina replied.  
  
"While there _is_ going to be a cooking contest, I deliberately invented that just to find you and get you here quickly," Amelia told them, growing serious. "We need your help."  
  
"Are you okay?" Gourry asked.  
  
"Is it Phil?"  
  
"No, Miss Lina, fortunately Daddy's fine. But the situation...come with me. We'll discuss it over dinner."  
  
"But we were going to this big dinner a guard back there told us about," Gourry said.  
  
Lina's eye twitched again. "That dinner's at the castle, where Amelia lives."  
  
"Oh. So you're going to the dinner too, Amelia?" Gourry asked.  
  
Amelia just smiled and helped Lina up from the ground where she had facevaulted. "Yes, Mister Gourry. The three of us, and another guest."  
  
"Who?" Lina asked, dusting off her tunic.  
  
She hesitated, looking around. While White Magic Capital was exactly that, there could still be, and have been in the past, Mazoku present. The less that was discussed outside of secured areas, the better. "You'll find out. Now come with me. It's been too long since I've seen you. How are you both doing?"  
  
"We're pretty good," Lina replied as they fell into step beside her. "You might like to know that the Mazoku Lord Dynast is history."  
  
"What?" Amelia almost tripped over a cobblestone in her shock.  
  
"We found a sword to replace the Sword of Light," Gourry said. "But it's really sharp, though. Milgazia did something to it to make it dull."  
  
Amelia wrinkled her brow in confusion. "Why would he do that?"  
  
"Because the Blast Blade absorbs magical energy to make it sharp. Even with it dulled, Gourry can still cut through rock. It's so sharp that you can't even really do anything with it. It cuts through the sheaths, everything," Lina explained.  
  
"Wow." Amelia glanced to the sword sheath hanging at Gourry's side, considering. "That could certainly come in handy."  
  
"Are you in trouble, Amelia?" Lina asked.  
  
"I can't really explain out in the open, Miss Lina. But there's someone who's joining us for dinner, and I need you both to bear in mind that he's _not_ our enemy."  
  
Lina's eyes narrowed. "What are you up to?"  
  
"I'll explain over dinner, but trust me, please? Have I ever really let you down?"  
  
"No," Lina admittedly, with a tone Amelia thought was slightly grudging. "You haven't."  
  
"_Everything_ will be made clear," Amelia promised. "I ran out here to meet you to make sure that's understood. You might want to attack the other member of our dinner party on sight, but I desperately need for you to hold off on that and hear what's going on."  
  
"All right, all right! I'll give you a chance," Lina huffed. "Now where's the food?!"  
  
"Right this way, Miss Lina." Amelia led them into the castle, and not much more was said until they were finally in sight of the dining room doors. "A white magic barrier should have been erected, and we'll do any talking inside that."  
  
Lina raised an eyebrow in surprise, but merely nodded as Amelia opened one of the doors, immediately stepping in then standing to the side to allow them to enter.  
  
The long banquet table was prepared with four places down at the far end, and a nice, plentiful variety of hors-d'oeuvres were laid out to whet the guests' appetites while the main courses cooked. Traces of a barrier shimmered on the floor encircling the table, warding it from anyone, including Mazoku, who might try to overhear the conversation by magical means. Val was down at the opposite side of the table at the head, standing, his back to the door as he studied some of the grand tapestries and portraits lining the walls. He turned around as they entered, not saying a word as he watched Lina.  
  
Lina began to walk in, and came to a sudden stop when her eyes landed on Val. Gourry walked into her, and quickly grabbed Lina's shoulders with one hand to keep her from toppling over, and his other reflexively went to his sword. She didn't seem to notice as she looked to Amelia, her gaze both confused and wary.  
  
"Please, Miss Lina. Join us for dinner. All of this will become clear shortly," Amelia said as she stepped behind Gourry, closing the door.  
  
"It had better," Lina muttered under her breath. Neither of them moved until Amelia took a few steps forward, then glanced back and beckoned to them.  
  
"Come on, Miss Lina, Mister Gourry. Your seats are over there." She gestured to the two chairs with place settings beside them to the right of the head chair. Her shoes were resting beside it, and she stepped into them before moving in front of her place, waiting for everyone to arrive at their seats. Val took the lone place setting to her immediate left across from Lina as they all sat down.  
  
"What is _he_ doing here? I thought he was dead!" Lina all but snapped, apparently oblivious to the food for the moment. Gourry's gaze was likewise suspicious.  
  
"I thought you were going to explain things to her," Val said.  
  
"I said I'd...Mister Val, I decided it would be better not to reveal too much in an unsecured location, and Miss Lina, we need your help."  
  
Lina's indifference to the food didn't last long. She already had a strawberry speared with her fork and jabbed it in Val's direction. "Let me get this straight. _He_ needs _my_ help?" she asked before sticking the fork in her mouth. "And what is he doing still alive?"  
  
"Your blast killed Dark Star, but it didn't quite finish me off," Val explained curtly before Amelia could answer. "I would have died, if Filia hadn't found me."  
  
"And now Filia's in trouble," Amelia said.  
  
"What did you do to her?"  
  
Amelia shot a worried glance at Val, watching him glare at Lina as his hands tightened into fists. "Miss Lina, Val didn't do anything. He's not even Mazoku anymore."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard her. I guess that by merging with Dark Star, I somehow had my old nature restored." He shrugged, picking up a water goblet. "You're looking in the wrong direction for the trouble. Try looking at your old _buddy_, Xellos."  
  
"Val, _please_ let me handle this," Amelia begged.  
  
"What's he done?" Lina asked, ignoring the princess, "and what does this have to do with Filia?"  
  
"Well, Mister Val was--"  
  
"I don't know what he's doing to her _now_, but I know what he's done." Val didn't even to appear to notice Amelia had been talking. His eyes were locked on Lina's. "Listen to me. Do you think I'd come here and ask her to find you if I wasn't serious about this? It's got _nothing_ to do with the old grudges from before. I love Filia. More than that, she's my mate."  
  
Lina blinked. "Your mate..?"  
  
"And Xellos couldn't stand that. I've got every reason to believe that he severely beat her, and framed me for it to pressure me into leaving, and it worked."  
  
"Huh? You mean she believed _him_ over you and threw you out?" Lina frowned. "That doesn't sound like Filia at all."  
  
Val shook his head. "It's not that easy. See, I believed it too. It's a long story, but he also hit me over the head pretty hard -- a maneuver he's at least 'fessed up to doing, albeit under the pretext of stopping me -- and I can't really remember too much immediately leading up to it. It took me three years, but I do remember clearly now that I went into the house _because_ I heard her screaming."  
  
Lina's eyes were narrowed as she listened intently, idly munching away on the fruit dish in front of her straight out of the bowl, while Gourry began to load up his plate with the kind of proportions that Amelia expected of them.  
  
"What else?" Lina asked. "Is he still hanging around Filia?" When both Amelia and Val nodded, she continued talking before they could open their mouths. "How come she hasn't pulverized him with that mace or driven him off yet?"  
  
"I don't think she can," Val replied. "For one, he's got leverage over her. For another, he _can_ kill an entire _flight_ of Dragons. Easily. One would be no problem for him."  
  
"Why did he let you live?"  
  
"I'm not sure. I think a large part of that was the leverage factor. He did come and find me several times, mainly to rub the whole incident in my face, insult on injury and all that."  
  
"All right. So what else do you know?"  
  
Amelia watched Val shake his head, looking down at his plate. "I don't know what he's done to her, but if you could just see her now..." He looked up at Lina again, this time with traces of desperation in his eyes. "I went back there, to the village where we lived, and I never even saw her. From what I learned from others, she almost _never_ is seen outside of her shop anymore. Xellos handles _everything_."  
  
"That's rare?" Lina asked.  
  
Val nodded. "At least when I lived there, yeah. She opened a pottery shop when we moved in there to generate income. Sure, we all -- that is, Jillas, Gravos, and myself -- ran errands and picked up things for her while she was busy, but she wasn't a recluse like she is now."  
  
Amelia wondered why Val wasn't bringing up Von yet, but before she could say anything, the doors from the kitchen opened and she hurriedly shushed the others.  
  
Lina began to dig in with more fervor without the topic at hand to distract her, while Val and Amelia ate quietly, waiting for the servants to finish setting out the main entrees and depart.  
  
"So you want my help getting Xellos away from Filia," Lina mumbled around a mouthful of food as soon as the doors closed.  
  
"Preferably in a permanent fashion. We just want peace and quiet, and I..." Val trailed off, a distantly thoughtful expression on his face. "I don't want her or Von to be at risk from him any longer."  
  
"Von?" Lina asked, picking up her goblet and taking a sip.  
  
"Our son."  
  
Lina choked, almost spitting out the wine.  
  
"Miss Filia sent him to me as soon as she laid the egg, about three years ago," Amelia said. "I've been raising him."  
  
Lina kept coughing and making high-pitched, incredulous squeaking sounds while Gourry pounded her on the back.  
  
Val smirked faintly. "And she's done a damn fine job of it too."  
  
"Why didn't you ever tell me, Amelia?" Lina demanded in between coughs, shrugging Gourry's arm away from her as she began to regain the ability to breathe.  
  
"Miss Filia asked me to keep him safe, and the best way to do that was to keep him a secret. She worked so hard to ensure Mister Xellos didn't ever find out about him."  
  
"I'm still not sure how well that worked. There hasn't been any indication that he's aware of Von, but to trick Xellos..." Val shook his head.  
  
"Yeah, that's the catch," Lina said. "If he does know about Von, he's likely been using him for more leverage on Filia."  
  
"I hope that's not the case," Amelia said.  
  
"At any rate, we'd be going up against someone who knows how we work, knows our strengths, our weaknesses, and has even fought alongside us," Lina said. She paused for a moment, chewing another mouthful.  
  
Amelia quirked a faint smile, but when she glanced over to Val, his expression was both hostile and pensive.  
  
"In other words, you're not going to help," he said.  
  
Lina arched an eyebrow. "In other words, we've got our work cut out for us."  
  
"So you _are_ helping!" Amelia confirmed happily.  
  
"I always knew this day would come around sooner or later, even more so after Filia told me he basically offered up my head on a platter to you in exchange for you joining the Mazoku." She smirked at Val. "Incidentally, thanks for not taking that offer."  
  
"Don't flatter yourself, I just wanted the satisfaction of killing you myself," Val shot back, but his words were softened as a half-grin tugged at his lips.  
  
"So now what do we do?" Amelia asked.  
  
"First and foremost, we eat," Lina announced. "Then we need to brainstorm and come up with a plan that could possibly stand a chance against Xellos. In the meantime, there's a nice little excavation site just to the west of here, on the other side of the borders in the Ralteague kingdom."  
  
Amelia and Val exchanged confused looks. "What does that have to do with anything, Miss Lina?"  
  
"We spread a rumor that some of the things being found are old spellbooks thought to belong to Rezo."  
  
"Who? What good would that do us?" Val asked irritably.  
  
"The Red Priest? But why would you..." Amelia trailed off, her eyes widening. "Miss Lina! That's cruel!"  
  
"But it'll work!"  
  
"It's unjust!"  
  
"Oh, not that again! Do you want to help Filia, or do you want to go traveling about to L-sama knows where looking for him?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"What are you two bickering about now?" Val asked.  
  
"I need Zel on the team. Besides..." Lina looked over at Amelia. "Think of how unjust it would be to exclude Zel from kicking Xellos' ass. You know how much Zel hates him."  
  
"Well," Amelia said reluctantly, "when you put it _that_ way..."  
  
"How long with this take?" Val demanded.  
  
Lina shrugged. "I'm not sure yet, but it's not as though we'll be wasting our time either. I don't know yet what we _will_ do, but I have a feeling this time waiting will be put to good use with you learning a few high-level spells."  
  
Amelia sweatdropped. "Not around here, you're not!"  
  
"Of course not," Lina replied. "That's why we're leaving Seyruun."  
  
"Let someone else worry about it?" Val asked, smirking. "All right. I'm game."  
  
"Lina?"  
  
"Yeah, Gourry?"  
  
"Just one question..."  
  
Amelia and Lina both froze, and looked at the blond swordsman apprehensively.  
  
"Yes?" Lina asked.  
  
"Who is Filia? Do we know her?"  
  
Amelia and Lina both facevaulted.  
  
"You jellyfish!" Lina shouted, cracking her fist down onto Gourry's skull yet again. "What kind of a stupid question is that?!"  
  
Amelia sat back in her chair, head in her hands, while Lina continued ranting. The old saying _was_ true. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.  
  
_to be continued..._  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Note to Readers:** Finally! Here's chapter five. There's a wee bit of a fandom-mockery easter egg tucked away in some dialogue. I couldn't resist the reference. I'd mock the word 'plagiarism' here too, but I doubt FF.net's coding allows for the strike-outs needed to do it properly. ^_^  
~ Zanne  
  


**Then Came the Dawn**  
Chapter Five

  
  
"So, now what?" Amelia asked after she dismissed the messenger.  
  
Lina didn't answer immediately while she rubbed her full belly, and did a mental run-through on the beginnings of a plan that had started to form through the course of the meal. She cracked one eye open to look at Amelia. "Well, we don't know for sure _where_ Zel is, so we should set out at first light so we're sure to be there." Lina stopped, and shook her head. "Correction, so you and Gourry are sure to be there."  
  
Gourry lifted his head from the table and looked at his partner. "Huh? Where are you going, Lina?"  
  
"That depends on Val." Lina looked at the green-haired Dragon on the other side of the table, now covered with the ruins of what once had been dinner.   
  
He looked up from his plate, one eyebrow arching slightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"It means, what kind of spells do you know," Lina asked, studying him, "and what kinds are you willing to learn?"  
  
"Miss Lina, I was thinking about that, and why would Mister Val need to learn any spells? He already knows a lot of them," Amelia said.  
  
"Most of the things you saw were manifestations of my Mazoku power," Val reminded her. "And to answer your question, Lina, I recall mostly shamanistic magicks."  
  
Lina nodded. "You willing to learn sorcery?"  
  
His eyes locked on hers. "Will it help us defeat Xellos?"  
  
"If my plan works, yeah." Lina met his gaze calmly.  
  
"Then of course."  
  
"We don't have much time, and you're a Dragon. I'm assuming you have a fairly high capacity for spellcasting?"  
  
"Far as I know. What are you thinking?"  
  
"Forget the stuff that calls on the Mazoku lords. We wouldn't have much of a chance using them, not against Xellos."  
  
"Miss Lina?" Amelia asked, and Val saw her eyes widening. "You're not going to..."  
  
"Amelia, we're only going to have _one_ shot at this. Just one." As her own words sank in, Lina started to realize just what they were up against, and hesitated. Amelia was the last in line for Seyruun's throne after Phil, and if anything happened to her... "You should stay home."  
  
Amelia blinked. "Why?"  
  
"Because you're the last in line for the throne."  
  
"That didn't stop me from helping you against Phibrizo, or against" -- Amelia shot Val an apologetic glance -- "Dark Star."  
  
"The Phibrizo thing, we didn't know about until it was too late to back out, and you almost _died_, Amelia. _Twice_." Lina was silent for a moment, studying the princess without really seeing her. _So did Gourry_, she thought. _So did all of us. And Xellos knows all my tricks, how we work, what buttons to push..._ "As far as Dark Star goes, we didn't have a choice. Whether you helped or not, if we lost, that was it. Game over," Lina said.  
  
"But Miss Lina--"  
  
"Damnit!" She jumped to her feet and kicked her chair away angrily, stalking around the table. _Why do I have to do this? I hate fighting Mazoku, how many times have I said that? It would be so easy to just walk away..._  
  
"Uh, Lina? What is it?" Gourry asked.  
  
She ignored him, giving her head a slight shake. _He would have killed me, or tried to anyway, if it would have brought Valgaav over to the Mazoku's side. How long before he gets orders like that again? Maybe he never will, but I don't think we're that lucky. I guess I should do it now, when I can at least have some control over where, when, and how. But the how... he knows my spells and he knows how we work. I'm going to need every trick in the book, and find some new ones to boot, and that means I need everybody, 'cause if we have any chance at getting the better of him, we'll only have that one chance. Besides, if I don't have everyone with me, I can't know where they are, and he could get to them. No, we can't play this thinking we might lose. Not for a minute! The only way to win is to be sure we're gonna win. Any doubt, any hesitation, and it's as good as over._  
  
That settled it. "You're going with us, and that's final!" Lina snapped, looking at Amelia.  
  
Everyone blinked. "Miss Lina, are you feeling okay?" Amelia asked, frowning warily.  
  
"I'll tell you what we're _not_ doing," Lina continued as if Amelia hadn't spoken. "We are _not_ going into that battle with the slightest thought of possible doubt, nothing! As far as all of us are concerned, there is only _one_ option, and that's us winning, and by L-sama, we _will_ win!"  
  
But Amelia didn't look like she was assured, or elated, or even on the brink of a justice speech. The room was completely silent.  
  
Lina froze. Everyone was staring at her like she'd just grown another head. Then the silence was broken by the sound of a chair scooting back as Gourry stood, walking over to her side.  
  
"We'll win, Lina, don't worry," he said, placing a big hand on her shoulder.   
  
Lina looked up at him, feeling immensely grateful for the certainty in his voice, the certainty she was trying to make herself feel. "You're right, Gourry," she said quietly, starting to pull herself back together from her little bout of nerves. Shaking his hand off, she walked back to her chair. "We need the whole gang together if we're gonna have a shot at this. Amelia, that means you too. You and Zel play off your powers together excellently, and we need your white magic too."  
  
Amelia nodded, her blue eyes dark and troubled.  
  
"Everybody -- that is, you, Gourry, and if we get him, Zelgadis -- your jobs will be to keep him distracted," Lina continued, pouring half a glass of wine. "Val, I'm going to teach you two spells, the Ragna Blade and the Dragon Slave."  
  
Val twitched slightly at the name. "Neither of those will work."  
  
"Not by themselves, probably not, no." Lina held up a finger, downing a large sip from her glass. "But two Dragon Slaves at once was almost more than Phibrizo could handle. I'd wager two of those, or two Ragna Blades, would be more than Xellos could withstand. Beyond that, Gourry's got the Blast Blade. If I have to, I'll hit it with a few high-powered spells to overcome the dulling ward Milgazia placed on it, and it will be enough to take Xellos down."  
  
Lina finished off her wine, sitting back. "The problem's not really whether or not we have anything to defeat him with. We _do_. The problem is actually getting to use them. Xellos is one tricky bastard. I think the only thing we might have in our favor is that he likes to toy with people. He's confident, but maybe _too_ confident. And that's our advantage."  
  
Val nodded. "We need to find a way to get Filia safe too, as quickly as possible."  
  
"Yeah, that's another thing. I'm not sure yet what the best way to pull that off will be. We'll worry about that once we have a better idea of our overall plan of attack."  
  
"Our ace in the hole might be the fact he wouldn't necessarily know that you've taught me two high level spells."  
  
"Correction, my two highest level spells I'll still use." Lina shook her head. "I don't dare touch the Giga Slave. But yeah, that's what I'm thinking. I mean, after all, you _did_ try to kill me, so why would I give you all my tricks?" She chewed her lip, narrowing her eyes in thought. "He's going to be _expecting_ those spells from me. And he's not a Mazoku Lord. Either of them _could_ possibly be enough to kill him on their own. For him to assume that because Phibrizo could handle it, so can he, that's foolhardy."  
  
"So while you're casting your spell, I can cast the same one at the same time, but not as loudly."  
  
"That could work. We have _got_ to get him off-guard."  
  
"He's gonna be watching me, though."  
  
"Maybe not as much as he's watching me. He knows you lack the same kind of power as before, whereas I on the other hand am a known threat."  
  
"Why not hide him somewhere?" Gourry suggested.  
  
"Where?" Lina asked. "I'd rather get him out in the open instead of in the middle of a town, and Xellos isn't stupid. He wouldn't get close to anything where somebody could be hiding, especially if he's expecting someone else to be there."  
  
"Like me."  
  
Lina nodded to Val. "Like you."  
  
"Maybe he won't think you're with us," Amelia suggested. "Maybe he'll think we're doing it on our own."  
  
"Maybe," Val agreed, "but that's assuming quite a bit."  
  
"And right now, the only safe thing to do is to assume Xellos knows _everything_ that's been going on," Lina said. "That means we have to assume he knows Val's come to Seyruun, that he knows about Von, that he knows I'm here, that he knows we're going to come after him."  
  
"What do we do now?" Val asked.  
  
"Now we find Zel, and get him in on this. He's got a good mind for strategy too, and I'd want him at hand when we start brainstorming. For now, we get ready to head out at first light, and while we're waiting for him to show up, I'll start training you."  
  
Val nodded. "Works for me. What about Von?"  
  
"For the moment..." Lina looked at Amelia. "Is there anyone here who can care for him while we're gone?"  
  
Amelia nodded. "There's Jillas, Gravos, and Nurse Zeeki."  
  
"I don't want to leave him here," Val interrupted.  
  
"It's just for while we're training and waiting for Zelgadis," Lina told him. "I'm not sure if it would be safe to leave him here while we go out to confront Xellos either. But for the meantime, if he's been left alone this long..."  
  
"If you're wrong..."  
  
"Maybe we _should_ bring him with us," Amelia said, standing up and cutting off Val's threat before he could finish articulating it. "If nothing else, it would be easier to travel with him later if Mister Val could teach him how to transform into a human appearance."  
  
"You've got a point. If you don't think traveling with a Dragon _now_ would attract unwanted attention, we'll bring him along," Lina said.  
  
"No more attention than Gravos would attract," Val pointed out.  
  
Lina groaned. "Him again? I suppose you're bringing the little fox guy too?"  
  
"I think it's safe to say they're looking forward to seeing you again just as much as you are," Val retorted, smirking at Lina.  
  
"I don't see why they wouldn't," Lina replied. "After all, who _wouldn't_ want to be in the company of someone as beautiful and powerful and talented as myself?" She blinked, looking back at Val. "What's with that expression?"  
  
Amelia grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet. "I think Mister Val and I should go pack and prepare for our journey," she said, cutting off any further discussion. "We have a lot to do, after all."  
  


* * *

  
"Why do I let myself get pulled into these leads?" Zelgadis grumbled under his breath. His destination was finally visible, down the road, down the hill. All week long, ever since he first overheard someone mention it in a store, he'd been arguing with himself about coming here.  
  
He started walking again, annoyed at himself for the conscious effort he had to exert in order to keep his footsteps measured and even, casual. He would _not_ get his hopes up. He wouldn't. That's what he kept telling himself.  
  
"The very secret diaries of Rezo, indeed," he muttered, shaking his head. "I've never heard of such a thing. It's a wild goose chase. If he had a cure, he never put it anywhere that still exists."  
  
Underneath it all though, there was still that glimmer of hope that just wouldn't die, a glimmer that constantly threatened to consume him with each new lead, each new possibility, lifting up his hopes to impossible reaches. Hopes that had never yet been realized. So he kept reminding himself how unlikely it was that there would be any substance to the rumor. Even so, his feet still wanted to break into a run, eager to get there, to know.  
  
Hoping.  
  
It didn't make it easier, his close proximity to the kingdom of Seyruun. Absently, he traced the jewel on the bracelet, the material worn and color-washed. He promised to go back someday, but that day would not arrive until he found his cure.  
  
Still, with each passing day, as the weeks turned into years, the bracelet had become more of a good-luck charm than a reminder. It wouldn't do any good to keep a flicker of hope that there was any chance of a future. She was a princess, last in line to the throne, and chances were high she was already married and producing heirs.  
  
Amelia. Married. With children. The notion was enough to make him startle. He still held her in his mind's eye as that young, idealistic woman-child, and he couldn't quite visualize her as being old enough to marry anyone.  
  
His gaze drifted to the east, in the vaguest of directions toward the White Magic Capital, and his hand clenched over the bracelet. Chances were, she didn't even remember giving it to him now. She had her own life, a full and busy life, no doubt. But she had also been a good friend, and perhaps still would be, someday.  
  
Whoever married her had better appreciate her though, or he vowed he'd beat some sense into them. Zelgadis had no qualms about dishing out his own brand of justice even on the future king of Seyruun if he didn't make Amelia as happy as she deserved to be.  
  
That train of thought had distracted him from the potential of a cure long enough for him to be able to walk into town, casual and disinterested. He couldn't seem too eager, or the con sharks would be on him like he was chum in the water. He had seen the excavation site he'd heard about on his way into town, but decided against heading there immediately. Better to hang around town, replenish his supplies, and listen to talk. If there _were_ some very secret diaries, and they were found, he didn't want to waste time looking for them when he could be relieving their current holder of the burden.  
  
He walked down the main street for a few minutes, with his hood pulled low and his mask up, looking around for a general store. Conversations swarmed about him, and several times, Zelgadis caught mention of Rezo. But from everything he gathered, nothing belonging to the legendary priest had yet been discovered.  
  
Either they were still there, waiting for him, or more likely than not did not exist at all.  
  
"Hey, Zelgadis!"  
  
A familiar, masculine voice caused him to miss a step, and he froze. _It's them. Should I pretend I didn't hear? Maybe they'll have information. If anyone would, it would be Lina, but I don't want to get pulled into yet another_--  
  
A hand clamped down on his shoulder. Too late. "Hello, Gourry, Lina," he said, turning around. "Long time, no..." Zelgadis trailed off, feeling as if the air had just been knocked out of him. Instead of the familiar redhead he expected to see at Gourry's side, it was her.  
  
Amelia smiled slightly. "Hello, Mister Zelgadis."  
  
He stared at her dumbly, swallowing hard as he tried to regain the skill of coherent speech. In the years since he'd seen her last, she had grown. She was taller now, no longer a girl, but a woman. Her hair was longer, tamed and pinned back in a neat, elegant twist, and the klutzy, childish air she had about her was gone, replaced by a calm demeanor suitable for a queen.  
  
_She's beautiful_, was the only thing he could think. "Err, hello, Amelia. I didn't expect to see you. Where's Lina?" He looked at Gourry.  
  
"She's here," Gourry said, smiling pleasantly. "She's just outside of town, waiting for you to show up."  
  
"Me?" Zelgadis blinked. "Why? What's wrong? What's going on?" He hesitated. "There's nothing in that site that belonged to Rezo, is there?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Mister Zelgadis," Amelia said, lowering her gaze demurely. "We needed something that would be certain to get you here quickly."  
  
Well, it worked, but it angered him to think not only could he be jerked around so easily, but the people he thought were his friends were apparently not above manipulating him. "That was really nice," he said sarcastically, narrowing his eyes. He pretended not to see the look on her face as he glanced back to Gourry. It served them right, for pulling that stunt. "So what's so important that you had to set me up like this?"  
  
"Let's go find Lina, and she'll explain everything," Gourry said, beckoning for him to follow as he started off.  
  
"This had better be good, and worth the trip," Zelgadis groused as he fell into step beside him.  
  
"We wouldn't have done this if it weren't an emergency," Amelia said quietly from behind them.  
  
"You could have done something else," he snapped. It never failed. No matter how hard he tried to not get his hopes up, they always somehow snuck up on him when he wasn't looking. And this on top of everything, finding out his friends used it against him...  
  
"It was Lina's idea," Gourry said.  
  
"Like that's supposed to make it better?" He could believe Lina would come up with something like that. But to think that Amelia would go along with it... he shook his head, sighing in annoyance. "Let's get this over with."  
  
No one said anything more until they were outside of the city, cutting through a fairly dense wood. That suited Zelgadis just fine. He was lost in his own thoughts, trying to think of any possible scenario that could justify tricking him the way they did. If there was a reason, it refused to surface.  
  
He almost didn't realize Amelia was addressing him until she was finished talking. Zelgadis glanced back at her. "Huh? What was that?"  
  
She had such an odd expression. Her smile wasn't as genuine as he remembered it, and a paranoia began to creep in. They weren't leading him into a trap, setting him up for anything, were they?  
  
"The bracelet," she said again, gesturing to it. "I see you still have it."  
  
He looked down, almost touching it on reflex before catching himself, not wanting to give himself away. "Yeah." Why was she mentioning it? Maybe... a chill rushed over his veins for just a heartbeat, and he looked to the path ahead of them. "Did you want it back?"  
  
She didn't answer immediately, and when she did, her voice sounded odd. "You haven't returned to Seyruun yet."  
  
That wasn't a yes or a no. He hated it, hated the uncertainty. "We're close enough." He looked back at her again, and her smile was artificial, closer to a grimace, and her blue eyes were dark and guarded. His heart sank as paranoia settled in for a longer stay. "Did you want it back?" he repeated.  
  
She looked away, and her tone was dismissive. "Just keep it."  
  
"We're almost there," Gourry cut in, sounding cheerfully unaware of the tension between the two.  
  
A lump formed in his throat and he swallowed hard. Fine, so be it. He steeled his nerves, preparing himself for the worst. After all, hadn't he always wondered, deep down inside somewhere, if they would someday turn on him like everyone else did?  
  
Like his own family had?  
  
Zelgadis could hear Lina's voice as they neared the treelike, entering a glade. Looking around, he found her, and his hand reflexively snapped to his sword as he growled. Standing near her -- far too close -- was Valgaav! And Zelgadis recognized that spell, the Ragna Blade!  
  
"What?!" he shouted. "You're dead! Don't think you can--"  
  
"Oh, for cryin' out loud, shut up and listen!" Lina hollered, cutting him off.  
  
The Ragna Blade spell was halted, and Valgaav looked at him with an expression somewhere between annoyed and amused.  
  
"What's going on?!"  
  
"If you'd hold your tongue a moment, we'll explain," Lina said. "First of all, this is Val, not Valgaav. He's not a Mazoku anymore. Secondly, we didn't actually kill him, we just killed Dark Star. Third, I need your help. We're going up against Xellos."  
  
Zelgadis blinked. "Run that last one by me again?"  
  
"We're going after Xellos."  
  
"And the point of that would be...?"  
  
"To kill him, hopefully," Val said.  
  
Zelgadis couldn't help but grin. "I like how you think already."  
  
Lina smirked, crossing her arms. "That's what I thought you'd say. So are we forgiven for tricking you?"  
  
He glared at her. "That was heartless."  
  
"It worked, didn't it?"  
  
"So would a letter."  
  
"We might not have that kind of time," Lina replied. "If nothing else, Val wants to get him out of the way as soon as possible regardless, and for a good reason."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"He has Filia," Val said.  
  
"Filia?" Now Zelgadis was growing worried. "What's he done to her?"  
  
"From what little we do know, quite a bit," Lina said grimly. "It's a long story, and we'll give you the annotated version. But I need your help brainstorming up a way to pull it off. We have the strength and the skills, but we need to outwit him."  
  
"Oh, jeez." Zelgadis covered his eyes with his hand. "Can't you guys ever get involved with anything _easy_ for a change?" He sighed, dropping his hand back down. "So brief me and let's get on with this."  
  
"Whodat?" another voice piped up behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder before doing a double-take and jumping back away from the large, young Dragon at Amelia's side.  
  
"The hell?"  
  
"Watch your language," Amelia chided, and petted the Dragon. "This is Mister Zelgadis, he's going to help us get you back to your mother."  
  
"Mother?" Zelgadis blinked. "You mean..."  
  
"Mister Zelgadis, this is Von," Amelia continued as if he hadn't spoken. "Filia and Val's son."  
  
Face met turf. "I suppose I've been out of contact for a little longer than I thought," Zelgadis said, spitting grass out of his mouth as he picked himself back up.  
  
"I think we can brief Zel," Lina said to Val, sitting back on the grass. "Keep practicing with that spell."  
  
"You taught him the Ragna Blade?"  
  
"And the Dragon Slave."  
  
"I hate that name."  
  
"I know you do, Val, but it's such a sweet spell."  
  
Zelgadis sweatdropped. "Lina, you taught him _those_ two spells?"  
  
"Do you honestly believe Xellos would expect that move?"  
  
"Point. So what's the story?"  
  
_to be continued..._  
  



End file.
